Draft rigging



Dec# 5, 1933- J. D. FENsTERMAcl-IER Er AL 1,937,817

DRAFT RIGGING Filed March ll, 1931 l5 .fo/7W D. /LTf/VSTEEMHCHE m4 50M/@TEE 5. .50M/VEB.

Patented Dec. 5, 1933 PATENT OFFICE A.

` 1,937,817 DRAFT RIGGING John D. Fenstermacher, Piedmont, and Bowater B. Sumner, Burlingame, Calif.

` Application March 11, 1931. serial No. 521,846

` 6 claims. (c1. 21e- 61)` This invention relates to draft rigging for railway cars, andvmore particularly'to a combined draft sill and drawbar stop construction of the type in which the draft rigging is enlclosed between a pair of separated sills or beams and the shank of the coupler is slidingly supported therebetween.

' "One ofthe objects of this invention is to pro- `vide an improved means for connecting and spacing the front ends ofthe draft sills by a .single link.

Another object is to provide a novel means for mounting and retaining thedraftsill connecting link.

*A further object is to provide a draft sill "structure of improved design for use with a single connecting and spacing link.

In the drawing:

`Figure 1 isa side elevation of a draft rigging embodying this invention. l

Figure 2 is a front view thereof.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary `detail of thelforward end of one of the sills showing "the linkwith its head broken away. v

"Figure 411s a plan of the connecting link; 1 'Figure `5 is'a sectional viewtaken on the line -lY--V of Figure 4. x

Referring `more particularly to' the drawing, Vthe numeral V2 designates the main side members orf-sills of the draft rigging which are `preferably ofl-vcafstlsteelvandare attached to the car structure in any suitable manner.

' The draft sills are separated a suificierltdis-V tance and `are suitably shaped to receive the usual spring draft gear. lThe forward ends of these draft sills are connected together by a Vremovable cross-bar or link 4" which is so designed and mounted that italso serves to `hold the forward ends of `the draft sills in spaced relation. i l 4 l Each of the draftfsills is provided with a hook 5 cast integralwith the' sill at the lower front corner. The opening of the hook 5 faces toward the front and at an angle of about degrees above the horizontal. The front and back inside walls of the hook are parallel Ato this direction of facing, and the bottom 6 of the. hook is rounded on the inside to receive the rounded portion 7 of the bar or link 4.

The back or rear wall of the hook is provided with an integral lug 8 which extends transversely the entire width of the hook.

The hooks 5 have one of their side walls topered downwardly and inwardly to provide a wedge-like surface adapted to cooperate with gether in service.

the bar or link 4 toform a tight t, as is hereinafter described.`

The hook is provided with a hole 9 adjacent itsfree end toreceive a Cotter-pin or other key member 10 to prevent accidental movement of the bar or link 4 out of the hook. l The inside walls of the hook taper downwardly andiinwardly to provide for `wedging the bar or link 4 in position.

The bar orlink'4 is so designed as to engage in the hooks 5 and, as stated before, form a connecting and spacing link between the draft sills to` prevent their spreading or coming to- These links may be either cast, forged or machined, and are preferably V formed from steel. The center portion of the bar or link 4 is preferably of square or rec tangular cross-section in order that a wrench vmay be readily applied for manipulating it. The bars or links 4 are provided with heads 12 at each end havingflat inside faces adaptedto engage the outer side walls of the hooks 5. The bars `or links are cut away adjacent each end to form bearing portions 13 adjoiningthe heads 12 and to provide a shoulder 14`adapted to engage the inner side faces of the hooks.

Thebearing portions 13 of `thebars or-links each have a rounded `bearing surface 15 adapted to be seated on the rounded bottom 6 of the hook and relatively short straight portions 16 adapted to extend parallel with the front and back walls of the hook when the bar or link is seated `in operative position.` The bearing portions 13 of the bars are further. cut away at right angles to the straight portions 16 to form a flat surface 17 adapted tobe engaged with the flat under side of the lugs 8. The pin or key 10 prevents the bar or link moving or When mounting the link 4 it is simultaneously engaged in the hooks I5 on both sills 2 with the fiat surfaces 17 facing the lugs 8, and the link 4 is then moved down into the hooks. The link is then turned in the hooks to locate the rounded Vsurfaces 15 on the rounded bottoms4 of the hooks and to bring the flat surfaces 17 up against the flat lower faces of the lugs 8. The pins or keys 10 are then inserted in the holes 9 in the hooks and these pins in com` bination with the lugs 8 securely lock the link in place. As the bearing portions 13 of the links 4 are disposed in the hooks 5, the flat inner faces of the heads 12 and the shoulders 14, which are parallel therewith, will engage and" grip the tapered side walls of the hooks in such"L manner as to insure a tight fit, thus eliminating unnecessary wear.

The link 4, besides serving asa connecting and spacing link, also serves as an auxiliary support for the coupler or draft gear.

While we have shown and described one certain embodiment of our invention. it will be understood that we do not wish to be limited thereto since various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of our invention, as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a draft rigging for railway cars, a Vpair of draft si1ls,said sills `being separated from their forward ends rearwardly for an appreciable distance to receive the draft rigging between them, hook-shaped members adjacent the lower forward end of each of said sills, a sing-1e one-piece bar removably mounted in said hookshaped members for connecting and :spacing said sills and means forming a wedging t between said bar and said hooks.

2. In a draft rigging for railway cars, a pair of draft sills, said sills being separated from their forward ends rearwardly for an appreciable distance to receive the ldraft rigging between them, a hook member formed integral with each of said sills adjacent its forward lower Lend, said hooks facing toward the'forward end of said sills and opening at an angle above the horizontal, each of said hooks havingV one of its side walls tapered downwardly and inwardly and `a single one-piece bar removably Vmounted in lsaid hooks for connecting and spacing said sills, vsaid bar being provided with head members .at Aeac-h end and being cut away adjacent each end to form bearing portions adjoining said heads and adapted to enter said hooks, a shoulder at the inner yend of each of said bearing portions, said shoulders and the inner surfaces of said heads being parallel and bei-ng adapted to wedge with the tapered sides of said hooks when said `bar is forced in-to said hooks, and means for retaining said bar in said hooks.

3. In ardraft rigging for railway cars, a pair of draft sills, said sills being separated from their forward ends rearwardly Vfor an appre ciable distance to receive the draft rigging between them, a hook member formed integral with each of said sills adjacent its forward lo-Wer end, said hooks facing toward the forward end .of said sills and -opening at an angle above the horizontal, a single one-piece bar removably mounted in said hooks for connecting and spacing said sills, means forming a wedging t between said bar and said hooks, and means for retaining said bar in said hooks.

4. In a vdraft rigging for railway cars, a pair of draft sills, said sills being separated from their forward ends rearwardly for an appreciable distance to receive the draft rigging between them, a hook member formed integral with each of said sills adjacent its forward lower end, said hooks facing toward the forward end of said sills and opening at an angle above the horizontal, a single one-.piece bar removably mounted in said hooks for connecting and spacing said sills, means forming a Wedging t between said bar and said hooks, and means including lugs on the rear walls of said hooks and pins mounted in said hooks adjacent their points for retaining said bar in said hooks.

;5. In a draft rigging for railway cars, a pair of draft sills, said sills being separated from their forward ends rearwardly for an appreciable H.distance to receive `the draft rigging between them, a hook member formed integral with each of said sills adjacent its forward lower end, said fhoo'ks facing toward the forward end of said sills and opening at an angle above the horizontal, an integral lug projecting from the rearA inner face of each of said hooks., said lugs having iiat lower faces extending Von :an angle to the horizontal, a ,single one-piece bar .removably mounted in -said hooks for .connecting and spacing said sills, said bar being cut away adjacent each end to form bear-ing portions of reduced cross-section adapted to fit within .said hooks and terminating at each .end with parallel shoulder faces adapted to engage the sides of .said hooks, said bearing portions being provided with a nat side adapted to-be engaged against the flat lower faces of said lugs means forming a wedging Yfit between .said bar and said hooks and pins secured in the points -of said hooks to prevent vdisplacement of .said hooks.

`6. In a draft rigging for railway cars, a pair of draft sills, said sills being separated from their forward ends rearwardly .for an appreciable dista-nce to receive the draft rigging between thern, a hook member formed integral with each of said sills adjacent its forward lower end, said hooks facing toward the forward end. of said sills and opening at an angle above the horizontal, a lug on the rear inner face of each of said hooks, said lugs having flat lower faces extending on an zangle to the horizontal, a single one-piece bar removably mounted in said hooks for connecting and spacing V.said sills, said bar being cut away adjacent each end to form bearing portions of reduced cross-section adapted to, fitk within said hooks, said bearing portions terminating at each end with parallel shoulder faces adapted to engage the sides of said hooks, said bearing portions being cut away to clear said lugs and to form fiat surfaces adapted to engage the flat lower faces of said lugs by rotating said bar in said hooks, and removable `means for preventing said bar from backing out of said hooks.

JOHN D. FENSTERMACHER. BOWATER B. SUMNER. 

